Murphy's Brother's Playground

Located near the waterfront of Manhattan’s old Gas House District, this playground has been known by at least three different names over the course of its ninety-five year history. The City of New York originally acquired this land in 1857 and 1861, and the Department of Docks and Ferries filled and improved the western parcel in 1893. After an Act of the Legislature transferred the parcel to the Department of Parks in 1903, it was planted, fenced, and improved as a playground. During its early years, the site was known as the 17th Street Park.